Dogs with Degrees - In 14 Days!

At a time when higher education is being pressured for additional accountability to the general public and to the government, it is crucial that administrators do what they can to alleviate the idea that a college education no longer has the same worth that it once had. One way to demonstrate the worth of a higher education is to demonstrate the worth of the accrediting bodies that hold the fate of our institutions. A recent article discussed the fact that two administrators at Bishop State Community College, in Alabama, earned their Ph.D.'s from unaccredited institutions of higher education. These administrators are the number one and number two in command, the President of the college, and the Dean of Instructional Services. One earned their Ph.D. for $2400. This is unbelievable!

When we have students falling into the trap of paying way to much money for classes that won't transfer, or taking classes at an institution that may not exist in six months, it is time for colleges and universities to do what they can to assure that these types of things don't happen. I wonder what the HR department was doing during these searches? Do they not have a process to assure that candidates graduated from accredited institutions? In an environment where (accredited) private, career based colleges are springing up all over the place, and competing with us stride for stride, we cannot afford to now lend an aura of respect or promote the idea that unaccredited institutions are just as valuable when trying to attain a job. I don't understand why a college would put themselves in a position where they are essentially committing suicide by deeming candidates who have graduated from an unaccredited institution as the most qualified. If accreditation represents that our programs are good enough to properly educate American society, what are we saying when we hire those who attended an institution that has not proven they are good enough to educate American society?

When I read this I started to look for examples of students who have lost money due to the fact that they chose a college without a complete understanding of what accreditation is, and the ramifications that it will have on their future. What I found were countless examples of students losing tens of thousands of dollars to institutions who resort to forceful recruiting tactics that take advantage of under-informed students. A PBS program highlights the experiences of students who have fallen into this trap.

The Mobile Press Register highlights the story of Vicki Phillips who tracks the activity of "diploma mills." Phillips suggests that most employers do not check the credentials or accredidation of the institutions that their applicants have graduated from. This is one of the reason why diploma mills can survive. A quick-cheap degree may mean a pay raise or a promotion, so it is no wonder that people continue to enroll in these programs. Phillips shares an example of how she enrolled her dog in a Master's of Business Administration program for $500. Her dog earned a degree in 14 days, YES HER DOG!!! Is it not our role as administrators to do our part to assure that we hold our accreditation in the highest regard? It seems to me that not hiring dogs who earned their degree in 14 days is a first step towards this end...

While I may be overreacting a bit, and I should probably give Bishop Community College the benefit of the doubt and consider this an oversight. But I wonder how it happened twice? At the very least all HR departments at accredited colleges and universities need to add an accreditation check to their normal hiring process. This is an oversight that makes the college look bad, but also jeopardizes all colleges role's in education the American public.